0004: Fired

"The nerve of you to show up here! Your whole damn salary ain't even enough to cover Mr. Smith's busted nose treatment! Shame on you! You're fired!" Aunt Nadia's furious rant made Sheila shut her eyes in resignation.

Sheila, just a waitress, felt disrespected and treated like some kind of a prostitute, so no wonder she freaked out. Edward just defended her, but it seemed like she’s being unfairly blamed for what happened.

"Well, it's Mr. Handsome who threw the punch, not Shie—"

"You too! You wanna get canned too?!" Aunt Nadia cut off Betty's defense. Betty wanted to speak up for Sheila, but as fellow employees, they both chose to remain silent to avoid more drama.

Taking a deep breath, Sheila hesitantly pleaded for another chance to stay at La Cresta. "Just one more chance. It won't happen again. I'll treat Mr. Smith properly if that's what you want, just let me continue worki—"

"What?! You really think you can disrespect me like that?" Aunt Nadia mocked, tearing up Sheila's signed contract and tossing it in her face. Sheila closed her eyes again, swallowing her pride. Arguing would only make things worse.

"You fool! Your contract is over! Your new deal is this," Aunt Nadia showed another paper, almost about to smack it on Sheila's face. "Read it. You're working here without pay until your original contract ends. If I tell you to lick this whole damn street to cool off my rage, you better do it. And you're not allowed to complain. Got it?!" Aunt Nadia arched an eyebrow, yanking Sheila's hair and pushing her towards the street. The young lady winced in pain.

"Enough, Aunt Nadia," Betty and the other staff intervened, preventing further humiliation for Sheila.

When Aunt Nadia saw some high-rolling customers arriving, he cooled down and walked off, fanning himself with his abaniko given by one of the staff.

Betty and others helped Sheila up and settled her on a bench. They noticed her wound and quickly fetched a first aid kit.

Just then, Edward pulled up in his car, shocked to see Sheila in distress. He hurried over to them.

"What's happening?" he asked, worried.

"W-Well, Sir. Aunt Nadia fired her and shoved her onto the street," Betty explained.

Sheila, in pain, struggled to speak.

Without missing a beat, Edward scooped up Sheila and carried her to his car, leaving everyone stunned.

**********

"Is she okay, Toni?" Edward paced the living room, clearly anxious, while Toni attended to Sheila's wound. Edward was on edge, as if Sheila was giving birth rather than just receiving care for her injury.

Toni stifled a laugh, and Sheila winced. Edward was acting like a nervous wreck, probably because he'd never been hurt before, always shielded by bodyguards.

"She's fine now, Sir. Luckily, we have some healing herbs in the garden for bruises. It will help her heal faster," Toni assured Edward before cleaning up. He glanced at Sheila before leaving. "You can move now, Ma'am. Pain will ease soon."

Shiela smiled at him.

After Toni left, Edward sat next to her. "Hungry? Or need some rest?" he asked, concerned, about to get up but clumsily knocking into a table. The vase toppled, and in his rush to catch it, he bumped into a drawer.

Sheila couldn't help but chuckle. Despite Edward's initial swagger, she realized he could be a bit of a klutz, even with minor injuries. Still, she appreciated his care.

A bit later, Toni came in with a tray of food. Edward, heading to the kitchen, blocked his path, unsure where to go. They had a brief standoff before Toni let Edward pass, thankfully without any spills.

As Toni set the food down, he caught Sheila eyeing Edward, who’s rummaging through a cabinet. Her jaw dropped slightly, like she found him drop-dead gorgeous. When she noticed Toni's sly look, she quickly looked away, pretending to check out the living room.

"Oh, Ma'am. Sir Edward just broke up. You can try your luck," Toni teased.

Sheila immediately composed herself upon hearing that. “Yeah, like he'd ever be into someone like me, right? He's all high-class and stuff,” she chuckled, pretending, but sneakily stealing glances at Edward with a hint of sadness.

Dreaming was free, but she knew her chances as a poor girl were limited.

Sheila sighed. She turned to Toni, who’s eating, hesitated but finally asked the burning question. “W-Why did they break up?”

Toni paused, leaning in to whisper, "She cheated. With none other than Sir Edward's best friend."

Her eyes widened. "Seriously? That's so bad," she almost shouted before Toni shushed her. They shared a glance, silently gossiping.

When they sensed Edward approaching, they straightened up.

"Would you like some soup?" Edward asked, offering a bowl to Sheila.

Shiela blinked, along with Toni. She had a bowl in her hand just a moment ago. Edward seemed a bit lost in the moment.

"Sure, uh," she chuckled awkwardly, feeling a bit flustered.

Edward swapped their bowls, leaving Toni looking slightly puzzled.

“What the…” Toni whispered.

Realizing his mistake, Edward felt a wave of embarrassment wash over him. He scratched his head, wishing he could disappear as he sat on the chair, choosing to sip the soup he had received from Sheila.

Sheila and Toni couldn't help but share a giggle at the situation.

"It looks like you need some chill pills too, Sir," Toni joked.

Edward shot him a death glare, catching him off guard. Startled, Toni flashed a nervous smile before deciding it’s time to give them some privacy.

"I'll be in the kitchen, Sir," he excused himself.”

“Wait!” the two tried to stop him, but he had slipped away before they could. They exchanged awkward glances, each waiting for the other to speak. Finally, Edward found the courage to break the uncomfortable silence.

"I-I think I screwed things up that compromised you. I can talk to Aunt Nad—"

"Don't," Sheila interjected softly, her expression a mix of concern and understanding. She managed a reassuring smile. It wasn't all smooth sailing on her end, but she knew she can't do anything. She didn't want to make things worse. All she could do now was to give the situation some time to settle.

Noticing the veranda, she headed in that direction. Edward was taken aback and was about to offer his help, but seeing her walk without any signs of her injury, he decided to let her handle it on her own.

Sheila took in the breathtaking view, marveling at it. Her eyes lit up as she spotted the plaza below, where she and her friends would be performing firedancing later that night. As a way of thanking Edward for what he had done for her, she thought of inviting him along and treating him. She pulled out her reserved ticket from her pocket.

"Edward, do you enjoy watching firedancing performances?" she called out to him with excitement.

He furrowed his brow. He wasn't really keen on that kind of thing and would rather chill and watch ballet because it's more his vibe. Plus, he thought firedancing was a bit risky. But her smile was so enticing that he just couldn't refuse.

"Y-Yeah, kinda. Why?" he fibbed.

Sheila's eyes glistened with happiness. “Great! I'm a firedancer. We're performing tonight at the plaza. Will you come?” she asked, handing him the ticket.

Edward took it, trying to smile. He didn't want to let her down.

"What time?" he asked, glancing at the plaza as well.

"At seven in the evening. You know, performing in front of people brings me a different kind of joy. It's like I forget all my problems," Sheila shared, anticipation in her eyes.

Edward couldn't help but smile as he looked at her. Despite facing bitter experiences, her positive outlook on life remained unwavering.

In that moment, Edward felt a deep sense of respect and admiration for her resilience and inner strength. He’s touched by her kindness and grace, and it made him see her in a new light, appreciating her for the remarkable person she was.